Skydive

For the G.I. Joe, see Sergeant Skydive.

Skydive

 

• Name: Skydive
• Faction: Autobots
• Species: Transformer
• Function: Strategist
• Division: Autobot Aerospace
• Sub-Group: Aerialbots

"Only by studying the past can we win the present."

Skydive is more interested in reading about jet fighters than being one. He's more likely to have his face stuck in a book about World War II air battles than to be in the air himself. It's not that he's a coward - he's just fascinated by the science of aerial warfare. But even though he's a somewhat reluctant member of the Aerialbot team, he is invaluable - his knowledge of aerial military tactics is without equal. The other Aerialbots constantly look to him to plan strategy, a responsibility Skydive sometimes finds to be daunting given his extreme modesty. His biggest fault, if you could call it that, is he doesn't realize how smart he really is. At least everyone else around him does.

The information-storage capacity of Skydive's cerebro-circuitry is greater than most Transformers'. This enables him to record instantaneously any flying motions he sees, and, within the limits of his design, duplicate them himself. Thus, he's able to simulate the techniques of World War II aces he's studied on film as well as the gliding patterns of birds he's watched in person. He is possibly the most skilled flyer of all the flying Transformers. His maximum speed is Mach 2.6 and range is 1400 miles. In F-16C Fighting Falcon jet mode, he can shoot laser-guided missiles with a range of 80 miles. In robot mode, he uses a nega-gun, which shoots a beam that cancels the bonding force between molecules. Only objects held together by the strongest molecular bonds can resist crumbling to dust when hit by the beam. He combines with his fellow Aerialbots to form the giant robot known as Superion.

Sometimes, in duplicating the flight of another, Skydive pushes his design beyond its limits. This often results in mid-air stalls. He can usually recover before crashing, but while stalled, he is completely vulnerable to attack.

History

Canonical/Pre-MUX/Theme History:

The Key to Vector Sigma

At one point during the eternal war with the Autobots on Earth, Megatron grew fed up with how his opponents ruled the roads and created a group of Decepticon cars known as the Stunticons. In order to give his new warriors life, he brought them to Cybertron and tracked down the ancient supercomputer, Vector Sigma, to input cybernetic personalities into the Stunticons. Thanks to a series of traps and drones in their way, the Autobots failed to prevent Megatron from succeeding and returning to Earth. Seeking to even the playing field, Optimus Prime conceived of the idea of retrofitting several broken-down Cybertronian ships into Earthly jets, and bringing them to life as a team of Autobot flyers. With the help of his technical savvy soldiers, Hoist, Wheeljack, Ratchet, and Prime's own creator, Alpha Trion, Optimus's plan was enacted and the Aerialbots were born.

War Dawn

Because Optimus Prime specified to Vector Sigma that the Aerialbots be given personalities that required them to learn and grow, and make their own decisions, however, Skydive and his friends were not instantly bound to the Autobot cause. Their sense of pride in their flying ability caused many of them to look down on the other Autobots. Despite their personalities being like night and day, Skydive and Slingshot were frequent flying partners and often on the same side of any argument. Skydive's eye for aerial maneuvering left him just as impressed as the more emotional Slingshot when it came to the Seekers' flight skills, and this innocent zest for knowledge led him and his partners into a Decepticon trap. Turning the Kronosphere on the hapless Autobots, Megatron sent the Aerialbots back in time nine million years. Their journey led them to the earliest days of the war, and they personally saw Megatron maliciously gun down unarmed Cybertronians in his quest for power. Skydive and the other Aerialbots returned to the present with an unshakeable commitment to seeing the Decepticon threat ended.

Aerial Assault

Skydive and Slingshot were once carved up into pieces and somehow put back together by a street kid who also just happened to be a deposed royal prince of a Middle Eastern nation who was also a mechanical genius. Convenient.

MUX History:

Skydive currently operates out of Autobot City. During the capture of Autobot City by the Decepticons in 2014 he operated out of the Ark.

OOC Notes

F-16C Fighting Falcon jet mode

Logs

2012

• August 28 - "This Isn't Working Out" - After discovering Sparkplug confused and disoriented, Spike and Buster face making a decision about their father's fate.

2013

• May 30 - Carly tests out an experimental fuel on Daniel's hoverboard, with dramatic results.

Players

Skydive is available for application. He was excellently temped by one player until Jul 16 2013, and is now being temped by BZero.

References

• Who's Who in the Transformers Universe

Shattered Glass

Shattered Glass Skydive

In the Shattered Glass universe, Skydive is a wild brawler, whose sole aerial tactic is to dive down into a host of enemies, firing and bombing with glee. He doesn't think before he acts, and actively looks down on those that do. His gung-ho attitude is appreciated by fellow front-line troops, but can be a real headache for higher-ups interested in a more strategic approach. While heavily armed and armored, his charging attacks tend to be in a long, straight line, and he's easily targetted by those cool-headed enough to stand still and return fire. Aerialbot leader Blackbolt would be all-too-happy to see Skydive killed if the stupid bot wasn't needed to form Superion.

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